METRICAL VERSION 



OF THE 



SERMON ON THE MOUNT 



HK ISRAELITES' SONIJ: JEPHTHA'S VOW, 



/■ 



By Di Wemyss Jobson, 

At"rH()K OK •• ITlSTOIlY OK TIIK FuKXfll RKVOrXTrON." il'f. 





f^fEW yof^ ; 




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1870. 



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METRICAL VERSION 



OF THE 



SERMON ON THE MOUNT 



m ISRAELITES' SONU; JEPllTllA'S VOW, 



©tlur cfrriptur-e ^gm^n^t$f 



By Di' Wemyss Jobson, 

AoxnOR OF "HlSTOKY Oi' TUE FliENCU KeVOLUTION," <tc. 



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NOTICE. 

It may excite surprise in this division of tlie world 
that a writer, wdiose life for upwards of a quarter of 
a century has been devoted entirely to secular pur- 
suits, and the stormiest scenes of politics, should 
now, for a moment, devote himself to tranquil reli- 
gious themes ; hut it is matter of notoriety in the 
Northern Hemis})liere, in the West as v/ell as the 
East, that having — merely for writing a few verses 
(construed as libellous) of the publication of which 
he was totally innocent, on a Scottish Baronet, who 
chanced to bo a grand-nephew of tlie late Duke of 
Wellington as well as the present author's by mar- 
riage — Ijcen sentenced to thc^ atrocious punishment 
of two year's imi)risonment with liard labor, and 
silent or solitary confinement, he had during the 
whole of that long interval, little other means of 
mental employment than a Metrical Version of the 
Scriptures. Al)out a third of the Old Testament 
books, as well as the New, were tluis translated by 
him ; and these, with a few other volumes enume- 
rated in the a])pcnded advertisement, he is now 
ready to publish here, should the inhabitants of the 
United States feel inclined to encourage such a lite- 
rary enterprise. 

Were it not for the sanctity of the subject he 
might 1)0 disposed to gratify public curiosity, by ex- 
])Iaining that he was subjected to this unprecedented 
punishment, mainly througii the perjury of a rene^ 
gade Jew, named, " The Right Honorable Benja- 
min Disraeli," whose contempt for truth is proverb- 
ial in the new world not less than in the old, and 



IV. NOTICE. 

who attein})ted to swear tlie honor of a gallant East 
India ofhccr, Colonel Eathoorne, and more recently 
the safety of tlie Italian patriot Mazzini, as he swore 
two years of the life of the present writer away ; and 
that he Avas in the Instancce of the author (_''na])led to 
do this with entire impnnity, i:'.asniuch as the 
writer was obnoxious to the existing Government of 
England, for having, as a member of the Queen's 
household, in the nwdancholy afiftxir of Lady Flora 
Hastings, refused to assist in hurrying to the gnive 
a lady who had no protection hut her innocence. 
All these matters will necessarily bo one day be de- 
veloped, though they need not be further alluded to 
now, than only to remark that their perpetrators re- 
vel in }»resent inijiunity ; although, as the late Prince 
Metternich remarked, that "the British Aristocracy 
have 3'et an account to settle with the People of 
England," it may be inferred that such conduct Avill 
accelerate the ajtiiroacli of the reckoning day.-'-' 



* Lest it should be snrniiseJ that the writer is iiidulgiiig in undue 
asperity he subjoins two extracts — one from an Australian journal 
named the Melbourne Argus, another from a speech of the great 
Irish orator. O'Connkll, whom this Apostate, after attempting to 
enter Parliament as a "radical" or republican member under 
his auspices, also deceived, and afterwards vituperated, as he 
lias deceived and vituperated every man who ever trusted him — 
in proof that the Political Hermaphrodite's baseness is known in that 
distant region, as it was known in Europe thirty five years ago. 

•' The famous revolutionary epic of Mr. Benjamin Disraeli's youth- 
ful and radi'-al age lias," says the Argus, " shared the fashion- 
aide honours of theday, in a republication. Readers unacquainted 
with that work will, however, hardly be able to gather a full notion 
of the original effort of the Conservative Statesman's revolutionary 
muse, for Mr. Disraeli has luade not a fe '■' of what he calls ' ]:)urely 
literary corrections,' but whicli the London RevieiP magnifies into 
"substantial alterations, justifying the charge of dishonesty by illus- 
trations. In 1804 he writes — 

' Hallowed be 
The regicidal Kteel that shall redeem 
A uatiou's woe.' " 

On whicli the Review reniarks : — ' Instead of the sentence above 



NOTICE. V. 

Tlie author may add, tliat such a vcrsiou of the 
Scripture as that specimen he now presents — and 
he will engage to complete the whole in two years, 
if consistent with the j^nhlic desire — might super- 
cede a desiedratuni or general wish which has long- 
existed extensively for a new translation of the Bible. 
In the existing version of this, many passages occur 
which are deemed ol)jectionahle by Protestants, as 
well as Catholics ; but they cannot be rendered in 
modern language without l)eing made still more of- 
fensive, nor omitted witliout incurring' the chari^e 
of mutilating the Scriptures.' In a poetical version, 

quoted, hallowing the regiciJal steel which simply redeems a na- 
tion's woe, that passage of the original poem ran thus : — 

' Aud blessed be, the hand that 'dares to wave 
The regicidal steel tHat shall redeem 
A uatiou's sorrow with a tyrant's blood.' 

This cannot be understood of the judicial execution of a criminal 
king. There is another passage which Mr. Disraeli has chosen to 
alter in the present edition, whilst he declares that his corrections 
are ' purely literary,' and that they do not affect the evidence re- 
gardiwg his former advocacy of political assassination. In the 
original poem he said, when speaking of Rome — 

' The bold Brutus but propelled the blow 
Her owu and nature's laws alike approved.' 

Very good ; that was what Mr. Disraeli wrote iu LS^iJ. In 1864, 

Mr. Disraeli has changed it into this — still speaking of Home — 

' The blow bold Brutus struck, her fate." 

And these, he assures us, art" 'purely literary coi'rections.' " 

Damkl O'Connkll is — and justly^far more severe on tjie regi- 
cidal hypocrite : 

" At Taunton," he says, in the course of a public speech, " this 
miscreant had the audacity to style me an incendiary. Why, I was 
a greater incendiary in ISol than I am at present, if ever I were 
one — (laughter) — and if I am, he is doul)ly so for liaving employed 
me. (Cheers and laughter.) Then he calls me a traitor. My ans\yer 
to that is, he is a liar. (Cheers.) lie is a liar in actions and in words. 
His life is a living lie. He is a disgrace to his species. What state 
(if society must that be that can tolerate such a creature — having 
the audacity to come forward willi one set of principles atone time, 
and obtain [lolilical assistance by reason of those principles, and at 



VI. .KOTICE, 

however, they ]iii!i,hL he modified h}' what is termed 
the "Kcense"' allowed to verse; and the author 
])oints to those parts of the "Sermon on the Mount," 
alhidins; to infrina;ements of the seventh command- 
ment as evidence of the mode in which lie purposes 
to accomplish this. A few shorter j^^'^ssages, troni 
the Old Testament as well as the New, are added 
as proof of the manner in which the v/hole will be 
accomplished. 

The author will only in conclusion state that he 
.shall by no means regret the brutal im])risorment 
and liomicidal tortures to which he was .subjected, 



another to profess diamotrioally the reverse? llis life, I sny n:;ain, 
is a livinj;- lie. He is the most degraded of his species and hind ; 
and England is degraded in toltrating, or having- upon the face of 
lier society, a miscreant of his abominable, fonl, and atrocious na- 
trne. (Clieers.) My language is harsh, and I owe an apology for it, 
]>ut I will tell you why I owe that apology. It is for this reason, 
that if there be harsher words in the British language, I should 
u.se them, becaust; it is the harshest of all terms that would be de- 
scriptive of a wretch of this species. (Cheers and laughter.) lie is 
just the fellow for the Conservative Club. I suppose if Sir Robert 
i'eel had been out of the way when he was called upon to take ofhce, 
this fellow would have undertaken to sup]ily his ]ilace. He has 
falsehood enough, dejiravity and selfishness enough to become 
the fitting leader of the Conservatives. He is Conservatism per- 
sonified. His name shows him l)y descent a Jew. His fiither be- 
came a convert. He is better for that iu this world ; I hope, 
of course, he will be the better for it in the next. There is a habit 
of underrating that great and oppressed nation — the Jews. They 
are cruelly persecuted by ]iersons vialling themselves Christians ; 
but no person ever yet was a Christian who persecuted. The 
cruellest perseciition they suffer is ujion their character, by t'-.e 
foul names which their calumniators bestowed upon them be- 
fore they cari'ied their atrocities into effect. They feel the persecu- 
tion of calumny severer upon them than the persecution of actual 
force, and the tyranny of actual torture. I have the happiness to 
be acquainted with some Jewish fi?uilies in London and amongst them 
more accomplished Indies, or more humane, cordial, high-minded 
or better educated gentlemen, I have never met. (Hear, hear.) 
It will not be supposed, therefore, when I speak of Disraeli as t]ie 
descendant of a Jew, that I mean to tarnish him on that account. 
They were once the chosen people of God There were miscreants 
amongst them, also, and it must have certainly been from one of 
those "that Disraeli descended. (Hoars of laughter,) He possesses 
just the qualities of the impudent thief who died upon the cross. 



NOTICE. Vll. 

if he be tliiis instniinental in the further extension 
of a Book which, though virtually denounced by a 
late Lord Chancellor of England as uninspired, must 
be admitted, even by such scoffers as the British 
House of Lords, and especially the present truck- 
ling Archbishop of Canterbury thus proved them- 
selves to be, to contain so much of human wisdom 
and so little of human folly. 
New York, May. 1870. 



whose name, I verily believe must have been Disraeli. (Roars of 
laughter.) For aught I know, the present Disraeli is descended 
Iruiu him ; and with the impreesion that he is, 1 now forgive the heir- 
at law of thp blasphemous thief who died upon the cross." (Loud 
cliet-rs, mingled with \i\.\v^\\tt:r.)^Di>traclt the Author, Onttor, and 
atutenmau,'' by Johu Mill ; Darton and llodye, London, 18G4. 



A METRICAL VERSION 

OF TIIK 

SERMON ON TPIE MOUNT. 
I. 

St. Matthew, CiiArTER V. 



Then Jesus, opening his mouth, to them said — 

Blessed are those tliat are poor. 
For abundance in heaven shall round tlicmbe shed, 

And it shall for ever endure. 

Blessed are they who now sorrow and mourn, 

For they shall at last he consol'd; 
Blessed are those who are meek, though forlorn, 

For they here dominion shall hold. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst 

For the great cause that's upright; 
Blessed are those who show mercy first, 

For mercy on them shall alight. 

Blessed are those who pure are in heart, 

For they the Lord God shall see; 
Blessed are those who from peace ne'er dej)art, 

For they His children shall be. 

Blessed are those whom men now pursue. 

And harrass for righteousness' sake; 
For the kingdom of heaven their strength .sliall renew, 

Of its blessings and glory they shall partake. 



10 THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 

Blessed are ye when men you revile, 

And persecute too for my sake ; 
When they say you are evil and that you are vile, 

The Almighty will not you forsake. 

Eejoice — let your hearts then leap for joy, 

A rich reward to you shall he given ; 
For so did the wicked the projjhets annoy, 

And you shall be rewarded in hea\en. 

You are the savour and salt of the earth; 

If that salt or savour be lost, 
How shall its vigour receive again birtli ? 

Shall it not be contemptuously tuss'd 
Under the feet, from the presence of men, 
Never to show that vigour again ? 

You are the light exalted on liigh : 
A city which rears its head to the sky 
Cannot be hid : when built on a hill, 
i'roudly its turrets it raises up still. 

When a candle is lit 'mid the darkness of night. 

Men do not then extinguish its light 

By placing a bushel or shade on the wall, 

But provide that its brightness be seen shall by all. 

Then let your light so shine before men. 
That they may witness its splendour again ; 
And that thanks from the heart by them maybe given 
To our Omnipotent Father in heaven. 

Think not that I am come to destroy 

The Iq-w or the prophets, or with vain thoughts annoy 



THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. H 

Tliose tliat are here ; I am come to fulfil 
My Father's behests and accomplisli his will. 

For verily I say now unto yuu, 

Till chaos again its reign shall renew, 

Till heaven and earth shall both pass away, 

Not a tittle shall pass of what I now say : 

All shall be done ; w'hoever shall break 
Tlie smallest commandment that I now make, 
Or what I have taught, what I have proclaimed, 
Shall least in the kingdom of heaven be named. 

But whoso slial] teach, or do what I do. 
On his head I will pour out blessings anew ; 
And he shall be hailed in heaven as great, 
When on earth he has accomplished his fate. 

For I say unto you, that unless ye surpass 

The righteousness Scribes and Pharisees show, 

To the kingdom of heaven you never shall pass. 
But on eavth and in hell shall be laid low. 

Of old it was said, " Thou shalt not kill. 
For that is a breach of our great Father's will ; 
Whoso shall kill shall before men be led. 
And death will then imperil his head." 

But I say to you, whoever has ire 
Against his brother 's in danger of fire ; 
Whoe'er wuthout cause shall his brother detest 
Shall not in safety from danger now rest. 

Whoever shall say to him " racca," again^ 



1^ THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 

F or tliis shall l>e cited to auswor to men ; 

And whoe'er that he's "fool" a l)i-other shall tell, 

In peril shall be of the fierce thinies of hell. 

If thou to the altar bringest thy gift, 

And remember thy brother is angry with thee, 

I)(» not from it your offering uplift 
Until with him you reconciled be : 

Then come and offer yom- gift to the Lord, 

And iileasure to Him it thus wnll afford. 

Agree with thine enemy while in the way, 
Lest with force o'oerwhelming he thee waylay, 
And cause thee before a judge to be led, 
Who disasters anew shall heap on thy head; 
And f )rce thee in prison straightway to be cast, 
When, I tell you, that tdl the last 
Farthing that's due to thy foe thou shalt ])ay 
Thou shalt not have leave to pass tlience away. 

You have heard, and of old yinu- fathers said it, 
" Thou slialt not in act adultery commit ;" 
But, I tell you, wdioever shall look 
On w^oman with lewdness, God will not brook ; 
But ^^'ill leckon that man adulterer in heart, 
And from His wrath he shall not depart. 

If thy right eye offend thee, at once pluck it out. 
And far from thy }n-esence cast it without ; 
For 'tis better that one of thy organs expire 
Than that all be consigned to hell's burning lire. 

If thy right hand offend thee, then cut it off. 
For that which is left will serve thee enouorli : 



THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 13 

That one nieml)er perish — is it not well, 
Ptather than all be yielded to hell ? 

It is said, "whoe'er his "wife puts away, 
Let him give her a hill, that aloof she may stay ; " 
But I say, " whoever from her shall part 
\Vithout cause, already hath sinned in his heart : 

And sinning, he causeth her also to sin, 
For thus it is that evils begin ; 
And he \\ho weds her that is put away 
Fi'om the prece])t of God alike goes astray. 

Again, ye have heard it was said of old, 

" Thou shalt not thyself forswear. 
But submissive to God thy lips thou shalt hold, 

And in all to Him reverence bear : " 

But I say to you, swear not at all ; 

Neither by heaven, for God's throne it is ; 
Nor by earth, for His footsteps on it now fall ; 

Nor by Sion, for His city 'tis ; 

He is its King ; nor swear by thy head, 

Because not a hair can'st thou make 
Of all that there in profusion are spread, 

A dark or a liglit hue to take. 

Let your oath be ' yea, yea,' or, as may be, ' nay, nay,' 

For whatsoe'er more is, is evil; 
False oaths from God do not find their way, 

They emanate but from the devil. 

You likewise have heard that it hath been said, 
"A tooth for a tooth, and an eye for an eye '" 



14 THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 

I>ul I say, when smote on one side of the head, 
To be smote on tlie other also, (h'aw nigh. 

IF any man shall })ni-siie you at law, 
And your c<xit away lahe from you, 

Do you of that man and his law stand in awe, 
And your cloak let him have too. 

If a man shall a mile compel you to go, 

Do not omit to go twain ; 
Give or lend to the poor, the needy, and lov/, 

And ask not from them again. 

You have heard it is said, " Thy neighbiuu- love, 
Thine enemies thou shalt detest ; " 

But I say, in His name wlio reigneth above, 
Let not such evil enter yom- breast. 

Your enemies love, bless them that curse you, 

Do good to them who you hate ; 
Pray for those who reproaches renew, 

And to do you evil await : 

That ye may be the children of God, 

Of Him who reigns in the skies, 
Of Him who in heaven hath Plis abode, 

And guardeth alike the simple and wise : 

Of Him who causeth the sun and the rain 
To rise and to fall on the just and unjust ; 

On Him who has ruled and will rule them again, 
Let the good and the evil alike put their trust. 

For if ye love them that only love you. 



THE SKRMON ON THE MOUNT. 15 

Wliat reward can ye claim ? 
Do not sinners their love thus renew ? 
Do not imhlicans, too, do the same ? 

If ye only your brethren salute, 

What do ye that others don't do ? 
Why from such deeds exjject to reap fruit, 

Do not sinners do them so too ? 

But be ye perfect, and perfect remain. 
While on earth it is your lot to endure ; 

Be ye ])ure, and your purcness retain, 

As your Father in heaven is i^erfect and pure. 



n. 

St. Matthew, Chaptek VI. 



Let not your alms be seen before men, 

That they may redound to your profit again; 

Otherwise you shall obtain no reward 

From yourFatlun- in heav'n who o'er tliem hoeps guard. 

When you the wants of the poor woidd relieve, 

Do not, as hypocrites do. 
Your alms so bestow that you may receive 

Praises from men hea])ed upon you : 
Against such parade be on your guard, 
For truly, I say, it shall have its reward. 

But, when you give alms, let not your left hand 



16 THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 

Know what is dono l)y your riglit : 

Your Father in heaven will this understand, 

And you shall find grace in His sight : 
An open reward He will then heap upon 
Your head, for what you in secret have done. 

When you pray, do not, as hypocrites, pray 
In the streets, that they by men may be seen ; 

Do not your prayers in synagogues say, 
Let a wide dilierence be you between : 

Against such parade be on your guard, 

For tridy, I say, it shall have its reward. 

Do ye, when }-e jira}', to your own chamber go, 

And, when fast shut is the diior. 
Cause your Father in secret your wishes to know. 

And he will giv(3 heed to you more 
Than if you in public had oi)enly prayed. 
Or your vows, in presence of men, to Him i)aid. 

And, when you pray, repeat not in vain, 

As heathens do, when their wants they (Express, 

For they think they'll beheardif they loudly complain. 
And thus before men proclaim their distress : 

Be not like them ; for your Father takes heed. 

Before you ask Him, of what you have need : 

Let this be your prayer, wdien you raise your tlioughis 

high 
To the Great Being who reigns in the sky : — 

" To Thee, our Father who rulest in heaven. 

Eternal praise and glory be given ; 

May Thy kingxlom come,may we find it at home^ 



THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 17 

May we liud it aLroaJ, and wherever we roam : 

" IMay Thy will by mankind he done upon earth, 
As it is in those regions where ang-els have birth ; 
Give ITS each day om* adequate footl, 
And let Thy blessings to us be renewed : 

'^rorgivo us our debts, as we those forgive 
With whom, as foes, it is our lot to live ; 
And let not temptation around us be spread, 
But ward off the evil that threatens our head : 
For Thine are the kingdom, the glory, and i)ow'r, 
For ever and ever, till time's dying hour." 

For if ye to men the evils forgive 

Which they have done unto you, 
In peace with your Father in heaven you'll live, 

And He will you pardon anew. 

But if to f )rgive those sins you refuse 

W hi ell mankind to you have done, 
How much more will He, whose love you abuse 

By the evil career you have run ? 

Moreover, when, to fast you're indin'd, 

Be not, as hypocrites, sad. 
And disfigure your feces, men to remind 

That some dire woe you have had : 
Against such deceit be on your guard. 
For a<^ain I say it shall have its reward. 

Do ye, when you fast, put oil on your head. 

And to men appear not to fast ; 
Wash your face, and Grod around you will slieci 



18 THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 

Joy wliicli always shall last ; 
Seeing in secret, yonr fervour He'll see, 
And openly you rewarded shall he. 

Lay not your ti-easures up upon eartli, 

Where niotli and rust will destroy ; 
Where men wdio are thieves, or evil Irom birth, 

Can break through, steal, and annoy : 

But lay for yourselves up treasures in heaven, 
Where all you desire by Grod shall be given ; 
Where neither niotli nor rust can corrupt, 
Nor thieves approach with footsteps abrupt ; 
For, where is yoiu- treasure, your heart too will be. 
And you from its cares will never be free. 

The light of the body dwells in the eye ; 

If this be pure, all you see in the shy, 

Or around you, will be refulgent with liglit ; 

If impure, you'll be plunged in the darkness of night : 

And wlien abysmal darkness you see. 

How great and profound that darkness will be ! 

No man on earth two masters can serve, 

For one he will hate, the other he'll love ; 
The one may be ])rudent, the other unwise. 
The one he may value, the other despise : 
For ]\Ia'nmon, then'fore, you cannot reserve 

Your love, and for 11 im who reigncth above. 

Therefore I uovn^ say, and declare. 

Do not for life retain any care ; 

Of things that are carnal heed not ; nor tliinlv 

W^hat ye shall oat, or what ye shall drink : 



1:HE SErwMON on Tim MOUNT. 19 

Neither for body raiment provide, 

But in faith of the Lord God abide : 

Is not life more than raiment, the body than food ? 

Then trust in the Lord amid evil and good. 

The fowls of the air — how brightlv they go ! 
They reap not, they plant not, they hoard not, nor sow ; 
Yet your Father above feeds them as they stray ; 
And are you not more precious than they ? 

Which of you, though he long calculate, 
Can a cubit or span add to his height .^ 
Why think of raiment ? the lillies survey ; 
And are you not much better than they ? 

They toil not, they spin not, yet grow in tlie field, 
And still beauty show, still beauty yield ; 
And I tell you that Solomon, 'mid all his power, 
Was not so resplendent as that humble flower. 

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass, 

Wliicli to day is, to-morrow is not ; 
Why will He not His goodness amass 

Around you, though small faith you have got. 

Therefore say not, " What shall we eat, 

Or how shall we drink, or our raiment complete;" 

For after these thirgs the Gentiles aspire. 

And they thus the Lord arouse in His ire : 

Your Father knoweth all yon can need, 

And He of your wants will not fail to take heed. 

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, 

And the righteousness there that hath its abode : 



20 THE SEKMON ON THE MOUNT. 

And all these things shall he added to j'ou : 

Tie will guide, He will guard, He will cherish you too. 

Take no thought what a day may bring forth, 
What it may yield, or what it be worth ; 
Heed not to-morrow : mind but to-day ; 
Sufficient's the evil that's found in its way. 



III. 

St. Matthew, CHxVrTER VII. 



Condemn not, l^^st by men ye're condemned ; 
Let not justice l)y you be contemned ; 
For, whatever judgement to others ye mete, 
You from your Heavenly Father shall meet. 

Why wilt thou see in thy brother's eye 
A mote, and heed not thine own, 

Where a beam may be seen, obscuring the sky 
Till vision from thee completely has ilown ? 

And why wilt thou to thy brother say, 

'■" Let me pluck the mote from thine eye : " 

Why thy conceit not rather allay, 

By pulling the beam there standing high ? 

Hyjiocrite ! first cast out the beam 
Which must thy visiou obscure ; 



THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 21 

And the light on thine own nitiy so chance to gleam 
That thou may'st remove itsecnre. 

Give not that which is holy to dogs , 

Neither your pearls cast before hogs ; 

Lest, turning, they trample you under their feet, 

And rend you for the kindness they meet. 

Ask, and what you ask shall be given ; 
Seek, and you will get it from heaven : 
Knock, and the door to you shall be ope,d ; 
It is not in vain you have woiked or liave liop'd. 

Where is the man whose son asking bread, 
A stone would attem])t to give him instead ? 
Or, asking a fish, that he may live. 
Where is he who a serpent would give ? 

If ye then, being evil, know how to give 
Grifts to your children, or their wants relieve, 
How much more shall He who reigneth above 
Give good things to tliose who ask Him in love ? 

Whatsoe'er you would have men do to you. 

Do ye even so imto men ; 
For such is the law, and the old pro])hets too 

Have proclaimed it again and again. 

Enter ye at the gate which is straight, 
For wide is the gate and broad is the way 

Of those who ov; destruction await, 

And many are they that there go astray. 

But straight is the gate, and n-irrow the wayj ' 



22 THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 

That Icadetli to life ; and few there will lay 
Their head or their steps, when heaven they'd find : 
Let those who hear Me bear this in mind. 

Beware of false prophets, and those who may come 
Clad in sheep's clothes to entice you from home ; 
For ravenous wolves they inwardly are, 
Though outwardly mild and meek they appear : 

Dy their fruits ye shall know them ; men do not gather 
Figs from a thistle, or grapes from a thorn ; 

Good fruit and evil can nut grow together. 

And good fruit can not by a bad tree be borne. 

A good tree can not bad fruit produce. 
And a bad yieldeth what you should refuse : 
Every bad tree must be cut down, 
Splinter(3d, and then into fire thrown : 

By their fruits ye shall know them all, everywhere : 

Not to all who to Me may declare 

Their zeal, or "Lord" cry, shall it be given 

To enter my Father's kingdom of heaven : 

But he who the will of My Father shall do 

Shall there find My love burning anew. 

1 11 that day, many to Me will exclaim, 

" Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name ?' 

Have we not by Thee devils out cast ? 

Have not we done what, as wonders, will last ? 

But unheeded, I teli you, they all shall remain ; 

I will not workers of evil retain : 

" Quit Me," I'll say, " from Me depart ; 



.V 
THE ISRAELITES' SONG. 23 

Ye'ie strangers to Me, but I know your lieart." 

Whoso shall hear these sayings of Mine, 
And also to do them his heart shall incline, 
I'll compare to a wise man who built on a rock 
A house that should stand th(! tempest's fierce shoe! , 

And the rains came, and the winds blew, 
The floods too descended with fury anew ; 
And all on it beat ; but it stood well the shock, 
For it Avas firmly based on a rock. 

Who heareth My words and doetli them not, 
Or who, when he's heard, them hath forgot, 
I'll compare to that foolish man in the land 
Who attempted to found his house upon sand : 

The torrents descended, the floods fiercely came ; 
And all might then his folly proclaini : 
For, soon as the tempest blew on tlie wall, 
His house straightway fell, and great was its fall. 



THE ISRAELITES' SONG.* 



Now will I raise my voice to the Lord, 
For glorious in triumph has l:)een His sword ; 
Triumphant and glorious, powerful is He, 
The horse and his rider are cast in the sea. 

Exodus, Chap, xv., Verse 1 — 20, 



'24 THE ISRAELITES' SONG. 

Tlic Lord is our strength, and tlio s^Jiirce of our song ; 
Ii<' is our safety ; our days He '11 ju-oloug : 
Ui> is our Clod ; we will raise Him a house ; 
The (Jod of our sires, who our praise shall arouse. 

'j'lic Tjord is His name, a warrior is lie ; 
The chariots of Pharoah are cast in the sea : 
His hosts and his captains are both overthrown, 
To the depths of the sea l)y Him they're cast down. 

The depths have them covered ; they sank as a stone; 
Glorious in ])Ower is our God alone : 
His foes have been dashed down, by His hand, 
The strength of His arm none can withstand : 

By that strength His foes struck down He hath; 
Like stubble, they've been consumed l)y Llis wrath : 
Tlie blast of His nostrils made water leap. 
And the floods of the sea congeal in the deep. 

His foe then exclaimed, " I will pursue. 

With my swift-flying chariots I'll capture you ; 

IMy lust shall be sated ; the s])oils FU divide. 

By the strength of my sword you shall be destroyed. " 

But He smote them with the blast of His wind, 
And not one of all was then lett Ixdiind : 
The sea dashed upon them ; l)eneatli it they sleep; 
Engalplied there, they sank like lead in the deep. 

■\Vho is like Thee the nations among. 
Are other (J-ods so resplendent in song ? 
\Vlio, like Thee, is holy and fearful in jn-aise, 
\\'ho, like Thee, in power great works can raise.'' 



THE ISRAELITES SONG. 25 

Thou SLivtclied'st Thy right hand, and waves swal- 
lowed all 
Who vauntingly threatened on its to foil ; 
Thou led'st forth the people whom Thou hast redeem'd 
And Thou hast them guided as good to Thee seemed. 

To Thy house Thou brought'st them ; the nations 

shall hear 
Of Thy holy name, and stand too in fear ; 
Sorrow on Palestine's sons shall seize hold. 
And the Edomite dukes shall tremble, though bold. 

The great men of Moab shall quake too with fear, 
The people of Canaan shall all disa^ipear; 
Fear and dismay upon them shall lh.il, 
Beneath Thy arm sink shall they all. 

Let them remain, still as a stone, 

Till Thy people pass in safety alone — 

That people who by Thee have been bought — 

That people who here by Thee have been brought : 

That people whom Thou shalt lead on, and plaat 
In the midst of the mountains, wheru they shall not 

want. 
To that place which for them Thou hast design'd, 
To that place which holy is made by Thy mind. 

For ever and ever the Lord God shall reign, 
Who the horses of Pharoah o'erthrew on the Plain ; 
AVho sank his chariots too in the sea : 
A might}', puissant, Lord God is He : 

For the children of Israel stood on the sand, 



26 jepiitha's vow. 

And safely beheld Him Pharoah thus strand ; 
In the midst of the land they stood safe and free, 
While the forces of Egypt sank in the sea. 



JEPHTHA'S VOW. 



The spirit of God on Jephtha then came, 

As over Gilead he strode ; 
Determined there to establish his fame, 

And the Ammonites smite with his rod. 

And he said, in a vow offered up to the Lord, 
" If Thou wilt cause, without fail. 

The children of Ammon to yield to my sword, 
And that I shall o'er them prevail, 

Tlien it shall be, whoever me meets 
First, when to my house I return. 

Whoever first as victor me greets, 
On thy altar I vow I will Ijimi." 

So Jephtha passed to the Ammonite land, 

Their forces in battle to fight ; 
And the Lord deliver d them into his hand, 

And caused him their armies to smite. 

Twenty cities by him were laid waste, 

* Judges, Cliapter xj., Verse 29 — 40, 



jepiitha's vow. 27 

And ]ic slew all he found on the plain ; 
And this, having done, the warrior in haste, 
Returned homeward again 

But as he a])proached his house at Mizpay, 

His only daughter came out 
To meet him with songs and joy by the way, 

And in rapture she caroled about. 

She was his dear and sole beloved child, 

Besides her, he others had none ; 
And, when he beheld her. with grief he grew wild, 

To think that for ever his pleasure had llown. 

Rending his clothes, he cried out, " Alas I 
My daughter, why com'st thou now ? 

For from what I have said I cannot pass, 
As to the Lord I've recorded my vow." 

His daughter, when told, said " Father if thou 
Thus have pledged thyself to the Lord ; 

Do as thou hast said in tliy vow, 

Though I myf elf should fill by thy sword ; 

And as by His favour thou hast prevailed 

Over the Ammonite land. 
Let me too by thy brand be assailed, 

Let me also fall by thy hand : 

Yet give me two brief months to go up 

And on the hills wander alone ; 
And then to the last I'll drink of the cup, 

When those two months have over nie gone." 



28 THE MATRON'S «0N0, 

Jeplitha said, " Go ; " and he sent her away, 
And for two months she wandered o'er 

Monntahi and glade, bnt dnring her stay 
Never her fate was heard to deplore. 

Ard when that period o'er her had flowed. 
The virgin to her Father returned, 

Who sacrificed her as he had vowed, 
Her l)ody on the altar being burned. 

The daughters of Israel in grief forth then went 

The virgin's fate to deplore; 
And, four days a year, still loudly lament 

That Jephtha's daughter now is no more. 



^HE MATRON'S SONG.* 



The Lord in His mercy hath looked down on me. 
He lias given me proof of His grace; 

A reproach among men no longer I'll be, 
His love will tlie stigma efface. 

Hail, Mary, now ! Hail, Mary, Hail ! 

Blessed art thou upon earth; 
Blessed art thou among all who travail, 

And He who from thee shall draw birth ! 

Blessed art thou beyond all below, 

*St. Luke, Chapter 1., Versos 25, 40—45. 



THE viegin's song. 29 

BlessccVs the fruit of Thy womb : 
Blessings from thee on mankind shall flow ; 
He them shall save from their doom. 

How is it now that you to me come. 

You, the source of my Lord ? 
I know it — I feel that my joy you've liccome, 

For, soon as I heard thy lov'd word — 

Soon as thy sweet voice fell on my ear, 

The infant leapt in my womb : 
With joy lie again leaps, now yon are licre 

To bless and to beam o'er my home. 

For blessed is she who humbly believes 

The words which are told her from heaven : 

Blessed is she who with faith receives 
The promise its angel has given. 



THE VIRGIN'S SONG.* 



Then Mary exclaiuied : Oh, great is the Lord ! 

My soul extolleth His name : 
My mind is ravish'd with joy by His word ; 

My Saviour puts me in tiame, 

Because He has kindly looked on my lot, 

My lot so poor and oppress'd : 
But henceforth, forever, on earth there is not 

A nation but shall call me Bless'd. 

For the Lord God on high has done much for uie. 

And Holy is named by us here : 
From age unto age His mercy shall be 

Extended to those who Him fear. 

He shown has the force that exists in His arm, 
And dispersed the designs of the proud ; 

The mighty has struck from their thrones in alarm, 
And the humble raised from the crowd ; 



20 THE MISSION. 

With liis bounty hath nourished the breasts of the 
poor, 

And the rich sent empty awaj' : 
On Israel He now all blessino;s will pour, 

And in pity its griefs too allay. 

Tlien praised be the Lord, who to Abram has shown 

This glowing jiroof of His love ; 
Nor to Abram and his descendants alone, 

But to all- who revere Him above. 



THE MISSION.- 



I come, I come in the name of the Lord, 

I have come, I have come as a fierce flashing sword ; 

I am come to scatter flames upon earth. 

And to disasters dire to give birth. 

I have come to baptize you with wrath and with fire ; 
What woe shall I find when I've had my desire! 
Do ye think that on earth I have come to give jjcace ? 
No ! discord with Me never shall cease. 

I have come to raise fierce strife in each house, 
And the fiercest of passions in men to arouse ; 
In each home I will raise two against three. 
And three against two wherever they be. 

I'll raise up the sire in strife with the son, 

And the son with the sire, ere his race shall barun ; 

The daughter I'll arm against her sire's wife, 

Ai:d the mother make seek her own daughter's life. 

The stepdame I'll raise against daughter-in-law, 
And she of the other shall stand too in awe ; 
I'll scatter around hate, vengeance, and woe. 
And death to mankind, wherever I go. 

• bt Luke, Chapter xii., Verse 49— 53 



V 



MR. WEMYSS JOBSON'S WORKS. 

READY FOR PUBLICATION 

In Monthly Vobime.i, octavo, (weraginy 400 jxir/es. Price $i. each ; 
to subscribers in advance, $2 50. ; or llOOy'or the 42 roluinc^. 

Each work maybe subscribed separately, and will be published as 
soon as 1,000 subscription'- have been paid. 

Vols. 
History of France, from the Invasion of Cicsar till the Over- 
throw of Napoleon , . , . . . . .10 

Napoleon 1. and Na]ioleon III . 4 

Life and Reign of William IV. ...... 2 

Ijritish Factions and Factionists ..... 2 

European Celebrities and Historic Sketches .... 2 

POETIGAL WORKS- 

The Poetry of the Flag, and Prison Verses . . • 1 

The Odes and Epodcs of Horace (translated also in jail) . 1 

Solomon and Isaiah ....... 1 

Job and Jeremiah .._,.... 1 

Tlie Evangelists ........ 1 

Genesis, Exodus, and Revelations. .... 1 

PREPARING FOR PUBLICATION 

Uniform in size and price tvitli the above. 

African Explorations in the 17th and 19th Centuries, By 

Richard and D. AVemyss Jobson .... 4 

The Dramatic Works of Pyat (Felix), Sue (Eugene), and 

Jobson (D. Weniyss) ...... 2 

Recent Indian Campaigns* ...... 2 

European Revolutions of 1848* . . ' . . . l> 

Memoirs of Louis Philippe* . . , ■ . . . li 

" Metternich* li 

" Garibaldi* . , 2 

(*) These last five works which have already been published in 
one volume each, the Author proposes now enlarging, and offering 
as a substitute for that "History of Modern Europe" announced by 
hitn some time ago, but the whole materials for which were seized 
during his incarceration, and either scattered to the winds, or le- 
served to be afterwards palmed upon the public by Mr. Benjamin 
Disraeli as his own, with the same effrontery as he plundered Thiers, 
and plagiarised Macaulay. 



OPINIONS OF THE PRESS 
ON ME. JOBSOFS " HISTOEY OF THE FEENCH REVOLUTION," &o, 

FIRST EDITION 
"Nothing can be more imposing than the pictures lie presents of 
the gigantic scenes of the period. " — Athcneuni, 1841. 



|^ilwrtt^i?m$iit 



Strong, striking, and impressive, the narrative of the fearf;:! 
events of this fearful era is e(|uaily vivid and dazzhng, " — Literary 
Oazette,l'^-^\- 

SECOND EDITION 

" Exhibiting a capacity for historical composition possessed by 
very few writers of the present day ; a style stately, glowing and im- 
pressive ; views enlarged ; and language remarkable for strength 
and harmony." — Morning Cltronicle. January 19, 1847. 

" The author is evidently quite master of his subject, and his style 
of writing is at once vigorous, comprehensive and graphic. — Wc&t- 
iiiiiister Review, July, 1847. 

FRENCH AND AMERICAN NOTICES. 

"England has produced nothing like this sines the days of Gib- 
bon. It combines the profundity of Guizot with the animation of 
Thiers." — De Lamtnenais. 

" Jobson is a man of universal genius. As Mignet eloquently re- 
marks, he speaks of men with the sense of Macliiavel, and of mat- 
ters with the wit of Voltaire." — Armand Carrel. 

" Jobson 's information is astonishing. He knows the history of 
France better tlian any livingFrenchman, and is more familiar with 
that of the early church tiiau tjie Archbishop of Paris. " — Caussi- 
dierre. 

" As secretary of the Institute I have (o acknowledge your great 
imdertaking. As a friend now of many years' standing, I congrat- 
ulate you on your noble achievement. " — Arago. 

•' Our columns are, for a tJiird day in succession, enriched by a 
sparkling contribution from M. Jobson. Ilis fscundityis remarka- 
al)le, and the style of his French is no less striking, reminding us 
of that of Kabelais and the best dnj-s of Louis Quatorze." — Courri- 
er des Etutfi Unis. 

" We notice with pleasui'c the arrival of such a man upon oi^r 
shores. He is one of those of whom this country has need, and who 
leaves his mark wherever he appears. " — D Avenir. 

" AVe have yet had no such writer in America. He rivals Alison 
or Macaulay in the brilliancy of liis style and surpasses them in the 
impartiality 'of his opinions." — Bejiublican Review. 

" Jobson s Poetry is perfect, and teems with ideas wholl}' new. 
Even on Washington and the American Eagle he says : — 

Onr Ergle, yonn;];, with eyeballs dim. 
Though proud, yet droops his crest to him, 
"While boldly soaring to the sun, 
Hound the halo of Washington ; 
fThat siiu, which, since his race began. 
Has ne'er looked down on such a man ; 
That sun, which, till his race is o'er, 
AVill never see such hero more.' " 
— Courier and Enquirer. 

" The manner in which Jobson has been attacked by the vile por- 
tion of tlie press is simply infamous. We have known him for 
years, and so far from being an 'American ruffian,' can vouch that 
he is a most urbane and highly accomplished Scottish gentleman." 
T—JSew York Courier. 



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LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




014 491 463 6 



